Giannis Antetokounmpo has urged his Miami Heat teammates to trust each other after a disappointing start to the 2026-27 NBA season.
The Heat suffered a 131-106 home defeat to the Minnesota Timberwolves in their season opener, despite Giannis scoring 35 points in 30 minutes on his debut following his offseason move from the Milwaukee Bucks.
Minnesota’s Anthony Edwards led the way with 45 points and 10 rebounds, while new recruit LaMelo Ball scored 21 points in his first game for the Timberwolves.
Despite his strong individual performance, Giannis called for greater trust among his teammates as Miami look to recover from the heavy defeat.
“We got to trust each other. When things don’t go our way, we got to dig in. We didn’t do that tonight. Our effort has to be better. It starts with me.
“My effort has to be better. I set the tone. They have two players [Edwards and Ball] that can make shots that make your spirit get defeated.”
“You got to keep playing through that. When [Edwards] made shots, we got discouraged and the game got easier for them. When guys get going, we have to be more physical with them” Antetokounmpo said.
